6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Centuries ago, the Mayans left us their calendar, with a clear end date and all that it implies. By 2012, we'll know -- we were warned.
Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandiwe Newton, Oliver PlattAction | 100% |
Adventure | 69% |
Thriller | 58% |
Sci-Fi | 54% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
movieIQ
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The world as we know it will soon come to an end.
Reviewing a Disaster movie necessitates a delicate balancing act, unless a reviewer
chooses to simply go all Godzilla on the movie
and
stomp it into oblivion without attempting to compartmentalize what the movie has and wants to
offer versus what other pictures of varied genres and purposes have and want to offer. The
Godzilla method would seem the du jour approach to a movie like Director
Roland Emmerich's latest end-of-days Disaster picture 2012, his biggest and baddest
movie
yet, loaded with special effects and built around every Disaster movie cliché in the book. Indeed,
2012 isn't really all that different at its core than any run-of-the-mill made-for-television Disaster miniseries
-- which are, in fact, disasters of the cinematic kind --
save for the fact that its budget is bigger than the gross domestic products of some small nations
and it comes complete with a collection of name actors, most of whom aren't yet past their
primes or long since
faded
into irrelevancy a decade or two prior. The budget, the actors, the skilled director, and even a
surprisingly moving -- but not all that deep -- script make 2012 the pinnacle of its genre,
a genre that has seemingly become the laughingstock of the film industry considering
the epically bad movies that keep popping up in theaters and on video store shelves and
television sets.
However,
Emmerich seems determined to keep the Disaster genre afloat and give it some relevance, and
he has indeed
made himself into the father of the modern high-dollar Disaster movie, with 2012 being
his most audacious effort yet.
Quickly! Duck and cover!
2012 arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer that's a treat for the eyes but not quite on the same level of excellence as the accompanying lossless soundtrack. Aside from slight visible banding in a few select shots, there's little room for complaint with this one. 2012 boasts incredibly rich and detailed blacks throughout, and the film's many darker scenes look extraordinary as a sense of depth and fine detailing both remain intact. Indeed, fine detail is impressive throughout the film's lengthy runtime; even the opening scene in the film that sees Adrian Helmsley descend into an underground Indian mining facility to learn of the coming doom features rich textures on metallic and other, harsher surfaces, though the film truly sparkles in above-ground and brighter locales. The special effects-laden locales and vistas remain sharp and clear throughout; whether distance shots of mountains or close-ups of cracking pavement, the transfer boasts rich details and textures and, even more impressive, the line between "real" and "effect" is almost always seamlessly blurred. The disaster scenes deliver intricate renderings of collapsing structures and all the minutia that one would expect to accompany such scenes, including massive amounts of finely-rendered debris and human bodies being tossed about. Even distant objects, such as cars rolling off crumbling bridges and roadways, are easily discernible and identifiable even at moderate-to-great distances. Additionally, colors are bold and natural throughout whether in brighter or darker scenes; no one shade appears as overbearing or, on the other end of the scale, poorly-realized or faded, and flesh tones also retain neutral and natural shades throughout the spectrum of ethnicities that appear in the film. 2012's Blu-ray transfer appears in pristine condition, with no visible scratches or debris, and a fine layer of film grain accompanies what is another strongly-realized and film-like release from Sony.
2012 splashes onto Blu-ray with an exquisite DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Suffice it to say, 2012's Blu-ray audio presentation leaves most every other soundtrack in the dust, and there's rarely a dull moment to be heard, not to mention the more intense disaster and destruction scenes that positively rock the listening area to its foundation and leave every speaker in the 5.1 setup begging for mercy. This masterpiece of sound uses the entire stage to wonderful effect; surround speakers go ballistic, the fronts handle primary cues with unsurpassed ease and clarity, and the low end is as tight and invigorating as they come. Musical delivery is just one of the track's many strengths; the subtle yet haunting opening piece is delivered with a wonderfully precise low end and pinpoint clarity as it maneuvers through the soundstage and sets a wonderful tone for the movie that's never as scary or relevant as the music suggests, but does befit the material on a base level very well. Directional and surround effects are seamlessly delivered throughout; helicopters buzz through the sky in several scenes and by extension tear through the listening area with a prodigious presence, while the roar of jet engines send a screaming force through the soundstage that's as marvelously real and precise as they come. More subtle atmospherics add a sense of space and realism to the track, and again each effect is meticulously placed and realistically implemented into the overall sound mix; whether chirping birds, buzzing insects, or the rumblings and constant hum of a jet engine as heard inside its belly as it hurtles towards a safe location, all spruce the track up and create a sonic environment that consistently places the listener in the middle of every scene. Of course, it's 2012's massive-scale destruction sequences that define the track. Listeners can rest assured that every major disaster is packed with sonic goodness, from incredible bass to a symphony of surround activity that's all delivered with a clarity and precision that practically fools the senses into believing that the world is indeed collapsing all around and with an alarming accompanying collection of sound effects. Also featuring exceptional dialogue reproduction, 2012 delivers a dazzling and completely immersive listen that certainly suits the film and makes this a new reference-standard audio presentation.
Though 2012's packaging states otherwise, this is actually a three-disc set with the
feature
film and select supplements on disc one, additional supplements and a PSP-only digital copy on a
second
Blu-ray disc, and a PC/iPod
digital copy on disc three. Disc one begins with an audio commentary featuring Writer/Director
Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser. Unfortunately, the track is fairly drab with a
monotone delivery from each participant. There's little enthusiasm but there is a nice wealth of
2012
knowledge to be found, with discussions revolving around the scientific backstory of the movie
and making sure the audience could accept the reasoning behind the disaster, set design and
props, character creation and development, the necessity of spending the opening 30 minutes on
character and plot development that's free of action and explosions, the process of writing the
script and
fleshing out the characters, the creation of on-set and computer-generated special effects, and
more. The track is a real drag, not so much because of its content but because of its delivery.
Also included is Picture-in-Picture: Roland's Vision, a secondary video track that plays in a
box atop the movie that features various cast and crew recounting their experiences in the
making of the film and the background revolving around its inception; discussing the plot, its
themes, and its characters; speaking on the creation of the special effects; and much more.
Aside from static
interview shots, viewers will also see behind-the-scenes footage that shows glimpses of the
making of each relevant scene. This serves as something of a larger-scale commentary, and
even though the secondary window could stand to be a bit bigger, the feature works well and is a
strong accompanying asset to the supplements. Disc one also features an alternate ending
(1080p, 3:39); BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Armored, The
Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Did You Hear About the
Morgans?, Angels & Demons,
and Planet 51.
Disc two begins with Interactive Mayan Calendar (1080p), a supplement with four
options. Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar (3:53, also available separately in the main
menu)
provides viewers with a look at how
the Mayan's calendar system works and the importance of the year 2012. Mayan
Personality Profile allows users to learn about their character traits based on the tzolk'in
calendar (oddly enough, users can input a birthdate in years beyond 2012, supposedly for future
use by as-of-yet unborn 2012 and Blu-ray enthusiasts, assuming there's still electricity
and
people in several years). Finally, Mayan Horoscope provides a future outlook for users
based
on birthdate. Also included is a legend with explanations of various words, names, and symbols
found throughout the pieces. The next supplement is Designing the End of the World
(1080i, 26:03), an in-depth examination of the film's extraordinary special effects and the
challenges of acting around a series of blue screen-laden sets.
Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic (1080i, 9:31) features cast and crew
praising the work, vision, and style of the famed Disaster movie director. Science Behind the
Destruction (1080i, 13:19) offers viewers a slightly more thorough examination of the
science that sets the stage for the events in the movie. Next up is The End of the World: The
Actor's Perspective (1080i, 7:34), a short piece that looks at the film's ensemble cast and
the strengths they brought to the project. Countdown to the Future (1080i, 22:03) is a
piece that takes a look at the Mayan calendar, the importance of the year 2012, and the
possibility that the end-of-the-world prophesy may be coming true. Also included on disc two are
five deleted scenes (1080p, 4:55); the "Time For Miracles" music video by Adam Lambert (1080i,
4:19); the making of the "Time For Miracles" music video (1080i, 2:43); and 1080p trailers for
Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, Michael Jackson's This is
It, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, and "Breaking Bad."
Disc two also contains a PSP-only digital copy of 2012. Unfortunately, it was unavailable
for sampling at the time of publication, but this section of the review will be updated as this
package's
release date approaches. Disc three contains a standard PC/Mac digital copy of the film that,
unlike the PSP edition, was available for downloading and sampling at the time of publication.
Sampled on a Second Generation iPod Touch, viewers will find a watchable but somewhat
problematic 1080p
transfer that's nicely colored, strongly detailed, and sharp, but falls victim to excessive blocking
and other compression artifacts.
On the other hand, the soundtrack is nicely presented with crisp dialogue, sound effects that
traverse from one side to the other, a fair low end, and sharp dialogue. Obviously, both
presentations pale next to the Blu-ray, but for fans wishing to view the film on-the-go, the
quality proves acceptable for such endeavors.
A few years prior to the movie's namesake, audiences are treated to a big but not completely dumb End-of-the-World flick that itself is far from being a disaster, even if anyone who seems hellbent on faulting it for not being the next Gone With the Wind would otherwise have people believe. No, 2012 isn't Gone With the Wind -- nor does it want to be -- but darn it if it isn't big, fun, and even a bit moving in places, a perfect popcorn movie that's everything it promises to be and even just a little bit more but without reaching for unattainable or unreasonable heights. 2012 has its flaws -- few movies don't -- but they're easy to ignore considering they're positively dwarfed by the film's scope, scale, special effects, sound, and even just a little bit of heart amidst the disaster movie clichés and formula construction. 2012 is easy to dismiss outright but hard not to enjoy once the lights dim and the curtains open, Director Roland Emmerich's picture the bearer of bad news but the bringer of one of the year's most entertaining and surprisingly effective movies. Sony's Blu-ray release does the film proud, the three-disc set featuring an excellent 1080p transfer, a stunner of a lossless soundtrack, and a host of extra content. Why not pick up a copy of 2012 on Blu-ray; in a couple of years, it won't matter anyway. Right?
2004
2013
20th Anniversary Edition
1996
Director's Cut
2009
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2012
20th Anniversary
2003
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2011
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Collector's Edition
2013
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